Vegetation clearing sparks reef catchment fears

The Australian Marine Conservation Society (AMCS) says the Queensland Government is ignoring concerns about the potential to damage the Great Barrier Reef through clearing vegetation.

The State Government is considering changes to the Land Management Act that could allow vegetation to be cleared from waterways near the reef.

AMCS spokeswoman Fiona Maxwell says under the current proposal, only half of the reef catchments would be protected from clearing.

"One of the key areas that will not be protected is the Fitzroy catchment and we have estimated that around about 60,000 kilometres of watercourse vegetation can, as a result of these changes to the laws, be cleared," she said.

"Now the Fitzroy catchment is the second highest when you come to the amount of sediment that flows in and onto the reef.

"Clearing the vegetation along that catchment will increase the amounts of sediment that will therefore flow onto our Great Barrier Reef."

The State Government says it will retain a 50-metre buffer zone alongside rivers and streams in reef catchments, to protect water quality.